As the research and women’s program coordinator at Centre Haitien du Leadership et de l’Excellence (CLE), Assuntha Fleurant’s time with the Engage: Women’s Empowerment and Active Citizenship project has not only improved the lives of women across Haiti but also improved her skills as a leader.
“Seeing these young women overcome obstacles really drives my passion for advocating for women’s rights and working for a better future for the next generation,” Assuntha says.
The Engage program, in cooperation with the Coady Institute and funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), works with CLE along with four other partners to advance women’s empowerment through participation in the social and economic lives of their communities.
In her work, Assuntha is responsible for facilitating and developing the curriculum for CLE’s women’s and youth programs and overseeing the organization’s research. Through Engage, CLE is supporting 50 Haitian women with social enterprise initiatives through the Fanm Angaje Fellowship Program.
Assuntha says Engage has been “one of the best experiences” and that witnessing the accomplishments of women through the program has been “inspiring.”
Seeing these young women overcome obstacles really drives my passion for advocating for women’s rights and working for a better future for the next generation. I want to see a Haiti where women and girls are valued, respected, and empowered to live fulfilling lives and contribute to the wellbeing of family, community, and nation as a whole.
Through Engage, the women learn about communication, community mobilization, and mentorship and expand their knowledge of resources, including scholarships.
“We come up with innovative ways to tackle big social problems that we are facing in Haiti,” Assuntha says. “Living in a country like Haiti, with economic challenges, is really tough and being a woman there adds another level of difficulty.”
Amidst the current instability in Haiti, Assuntha is appreciative of the Engage partnership, which will allow CLE to gain greater capacity to continue its work.
“I wanted to really thank Coady and GAC for this opportunity that is helping us at our organization to empower more women and Haiti and help them to make a better impact in their life and in the lives of their community,” Assuntha says.
Through Engage, CLE was able to devote more time and resources to their women’s leadership program, including increasing the number of women staff. Assuntha has noticed that the more women they have in CLE who hold important positions and facilitate the trainings, the more female participants they have in their programs. It has also motivated them to take more initiative and step up in decision making in their organizations, families, and communities.
Currently, Assuntha sees the women involved in Engage face a multitude of challenges due to unrest and economic struggle and hopes to see structural change where women are “actively involved in shaping policies and programs that affect their lives.”
Assuntha highlights the importance of investing in education and promoting leadership so that women and girls can “reach their full potential.”
“I want to see a Haiti where women and girls are valued, respected, and empowered to live fulfilling lives and contribute to the wellbeing of family, community, and nation as a whole.”
